WasteMAP: Empowering Methane Action in Central Asia's Waste Sector

WasteMAP supports Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in strengthening national capacity to identify, measure, and reduce methane emissions from the solid waste sector, one of the most significant yet often overlooked sources of greenhouse gases. Implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) with financial support from the Global Methane Hub (GMH), the project harnesses satellite technology, national datasets, and the global WasteMAP platform to deliver reliable, actionable data for climate reporting and investment planning.

About the Project

Methane from landfills represents a major, underreported source of greenhouse gas emissions across Central Asia. The WasteMAP project addresses this gap by equipping national governments with the tools, data, and institutional capacity needed to take concrete action.

Using satellite data and the WasteMAP platform, emissions at landfills will be identified, quantified, and spatially mapped. This process will resolve discrepancies with existing national greenhouse gas inventories, account for previously unrecognized emission sources, and update emission volume data — all feeding directly into Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems in preparation for the countries' 2026 Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR).

For priority landfills, the project will develop two investment-ready pre-feasibility studies evaluating technically and financially viable mitigation solutions — such as landfill gas capture and organic waste processing — in line with international standards, to help attract climate finance.

The project will also ensure that results are institutionalized: national guidelines with priority methane reduction measures, aligned with each country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), will be developed, validated by key stakeholders, and submitted to the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan for official approval.

Key Objectives

●      Identify and analyze emission sources — gap analysis of national inventories and system modernization

●      Develop mitigation measures — strategic integration and data enrichment for the WasteMAP platform

●      Build national expert capacity — training specialists from relevant ministries to use WasteMAP for regular emissions monitoring, data interpretation, and planning

Project Details

Background:

WasteMAP is an online platform developed jointly by RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute) and the Clean Air Task Force, with support from the Global Methane Hub, aimed at ensuring transparency, measurability, and manageability of methane emissions in the waste sector.

The Global Methane Hub is an international non-profit organization focused on financing and coordinating methane emission reduction efforts worldwide.